Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari used his address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation\u2019s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on Friday to urge member nations to refrain from using terrorism as a diplomatic tool.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the second day of his visit to India, the foreign minister emphasised the importance of greater cooperation among SCO countries in tackling terrorism, calling for joint efforts to address the root causes of the issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe collective security of our peoples is our joint responsibility. [\u2026] Let\u2019s not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring,\u201d the Foreign Office (FO) quoted Bilawal as saying.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar addressed the SCO meeting, in which he highlighted the issue of cross-border terrorism.<\/p>\n
According to the Hindustan Times, Jaishankar said: \u201cWhile the world was engaged in facing Covid and its consequences, the menace of terrorism continues unabated. Taking our eyes off this menace would be detrimental to our security interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe firmly believe that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism,\u201d Jaishankar said.<\/p>\n
He further called for the \u201cchannel of activities for terrorist activities\u201d to be \u201cseized and blocked without distinction\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Indian news agency quoted the minister as saying, \u201cMembers need not be reminded that combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of the SCO.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jaishankar noted that the unfolding situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban\u2019s return to power \u201cremains at the centre of our attention\u201d, adding that the efforts should be directed towards the welfare of the Afghan people, the Hindustan Times said.<\/p>\n
Bilawal\u2019s address also touched upon the issue of terrorism and Islamabad\u2019s commitment to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
The FO, in a Twitter thread, quoted Bilawal as saying, \u201cUnilateral and illegal measures by states in violation of international law and Security Council resolutions run counter to the SCO objectives\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen great powers play the role of peacemaker, we can unlock the potential of peace while paving the way for greater cooperation, regional integration and economic opportunities for our peoples,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Bilawal also stressed upon the SCO\u2019s importance for Pakistan: \u201cThere couldn\u2019t be a more powerful indication of the importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO than my presence here in Goa for this CFM.\u201d<\/p>\n
The minister asserted the SCO could be a \u201ckey platform for taking the vision of Eurasian connectivity to the next level\u201d, the FO said.<\/p>\n
The FO further quoted him reiterating Pakistan\u2019s belief and adherence to the \u201cprinciples of mutual trust, equality, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of shared development enshrined in the original \u2018Shanghai Spirit\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n
The minister asserted Pakistan\u2019s commitment to multilateralism and said it \u201ccontinues to play a leading role at all international forums\u201d.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Afghanistan, Bilawal said, \u201cA peaceful and stable Afghanistan is a key not only to regional integration and economic cooperation but also to global peace and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Citing Pakistan\u2019s proposal to establish the Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation, Bilawal advocated for closer cooperation for poverty alleviation under the SCO, the FO said.<\/p>\n
The foreign minister once again highlighted Pakistan\u2019s role in the global discourse on climate change. He further said, \u201cThe climate crisis poses an existential threat to humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further highlighted the SCO\u2019s role as an intergovernmental organisation and said the platform had promoted \u201cmutual understanding, security and development through constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Earlier today, the FO shared a group photo of the foreign ministers attending the SCO meeting today. The SCO comprises eight member states \u2014 Pakistan, India, China, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.<\/p>\n
The FO also shared a photo of Jaishankar welcoming Bilawal to today\u2019s CFM meeting. A video of the occasion shows the Indian minister welcoming Bilawal with a Namaste \u2014 a customary Indian gesture of respectfully greeting a person \u2014 and the latter reciprocating it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari used his address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation\u2019s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on Friday to urge member nations to refrain from using terrorism as a diplomatic tool. Speaking on the second day of his visit to India, the foreign minister emphasised the importance of greater cooperation among SCO countries […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":329457,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-329451","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n